


The Gentlemen's Parlor

by forestknifefight



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Western, Prostitution, Wild West, whorehouse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-09 18:38:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8907586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestknifefight/pseuds/forestknifefight
Summary: Miss Angel’s Gentlemen's Parlor and Bar was the center of activity for the town of Angelica. The town was named for Angelica Schuyler, the Madame behind Miss Angel’s Parlor. Angelica ran her business with the help of her two sisters: Peggy, who ran the bar, and Eliza, who kept the books.





	1. one

Miss Angel’s Gentlemen's Parlor and Bar was the center of activity for the town of Angelica. The town was named for Angelica Schuyler, the Madame behind Miss Angel’s Parlor. Angelica ran her business with the help of her two sisters: Peggy, who ran the bar, and Eliza, who kept the books.

The building their business was in had three floors. The ground floor was the bar where the Schuyler sisters would spend the day, Peggy serving drinks and Angelica making appointments for her girls. The second floor had the bedrooms that Angelica’s girls lived and worked in. The third floor was the apartment that Peggy and Angelica lived in together. Eliza was married. She and her family lived in the small house behind the Parlor but still on the property.

Five girls worked for Miss Angel. Dolley Payne, Martha Manning, Adrienne Noailles, Abigail Smith, and Sally Hemings. There were six when Theodosia Bartow worked at the Parlor but she married the town judge, Aaron Burr, and moved out.

The parlor was open during the same hours as the bar. One in the afternoon to two in the morning. The girls were always receiving guests, from opening to close. Men would even secure appointments with women the day prior to ensure their visit.

At the start of the work day, each of the Schuyler sisters assumed positions in the building. Peggy was behind the bar, serving drinks and the occasional meal to their patrons. Eliza was at the farthest end of the bar with the ledger for the parlor in front of her. She had it open to a new page for the new day. Angelica sat at a table near Eliza, her appointment book open in front of her. Dolley had an appointment that day. As did Sally.

Sally had the same appointment three times a week with the local drunkard, James Reynolds. He’d come into the bar at four o’clock, have two drinks, then request Sally. Angelica worried for the girl. Reynolds was a very aggressive man and often times would leave Sally with two or three bruises. She never claimed he was beating her, so Angelica never made a definite stance.

“Angelica?” Eliza asked, placing a gentle hand on her older sister’s shoulder. Angelica straightened her back and turned to her sister with a raised eyebrow. She had been so lost in thought over Sally that seeing Eliza’s worried face made her think she had been called more than once.

“Yes, Eliza?” Angelica asked.

“You have someone waiting to talk to you.” Eliza pointed over Angelica’s shoulder. Angelica turned around and saw an unfamiliar gentleman standing behind the chair across from her.

Angelica smiled and motioned for the man to sit. He pulled the chair out and sat down.

“How can I help you, Mister…” Angelica said, trailing off to allow him to give her his name.

“Jefferson Thomas Jefferson. Pleasure,” Jefferson said, holding his hand out to Angelica for her to shake. She took his hand for a moment before tugging away, almost like touching a man burned her.

“Well, Mister Jefferson,” Angelica straightened her posture and lifted her pencil, “What can I do for you?”

“I’d like an hour,” Jefferson said. He folded his hands on the table in front of him.

“An hour? An hour with whom?” Angelica asked.

“Angelica--”

“No, no. To you, my name is Miss Angel or Miss Schuyler and that’s it.”

“Miss Angel,” Jefferson corrected himself, “I’m just visiting on business, I don’t know your girls.”

Angelica hummed a response. She put her pencil down and spread her hands out on the table in front of her, using the pressure to lift herself out of her chair. “Girls, could you come here for a second?” Angelica called.

Seconds later, the five girls were at Angelica’s side.

“Well, Mister Jefferson, these are my girls. Martha, Adrienne, Abigail, Sally and Dolley. Aren’t they pretty?” Angelica said. She looked at Martha with a smile, taking a curl of hair in her hand and gently pulling it out then letting go. She looked back at Jefferson expectantly. “Well, Sir? Who’ll it be?”

Jefferson dragged his eyes over each girl before settling them on one. “Sally,” he said.

Angelica smiled and beckoned Sally to her. Sally stepped forward and Angelica waved the rest of the girls away.

Angelica sat back down and scribbled Jefferson’s name into her appointment book.

_Sally Hemings - 2:15 pm - Thomas Jefferson_

“Alright, Mister Jefferson, that’ll be twenty dollars,” Angelica said, putting her pencil down.

“Twenty dollars? Isn’t that a bit pricey?” Jefferson asked, his face twisted slightly in disgust.

“Mister Jefferson, I have five clean, pretty, of-age girls. That is not something you see in every little town. Now you pay my price or you find cheaper girls someplace else.”

Jefferson and Angelica stared at each other, neither wanting to back down. It was Jefferson, however, who gave in.

“Of course, Miss Angel.” Jefferson produced twenty dollars and passed it to Angelica. She turned slightly, handing the money to Eliza to note who then passed the money to Peggy to store.

Sally rounded the table and took Jefferson’s hand with a smile. She turned to lead him up to her room but was stopped when Angelica cleared her throat.

“Mister Jefferson.”

“Yes, ma’am?” Jefferson said.

Angelica was standing behind her chair, back straight and chin held high.

“If Sally tells me you were rude to her, hurt her, or touched her in any way she does not approve of, I will shoot you.”

“Understood, ma’am.”

“Go.”

Sally tugged gently on Jefferson’s hand and the two of them ascended the stairs to her room.

Jefferson left right after his appointment ended. He nodded in acknowledgment to Angelica who nodded in return. Sally sat at the table next to Angelica.

“You okay, darlin’?” Angelica asked.

“Oh, of course. Mister Jefferson was, quite possibly, the gentlest man I have ever been with. I tell you, he almost seemed nervous,” Sally said. Her voice was light like she was laughing at Jefferson.

“He does not seem the type to be nervous about bein’ with a woman.”

Sally and Angelica shared a short laugh before Sally caught sight of the appointment book. “I got Mister Reynolds comin’ in today?”

Angelica nodded.

“How long?”

Angelica checked her watch. “Forty minutes.”

Sally sighed and stood. She bid a goodbye to Angelica before going off to find Dolley.

When Reynolds arrived, he took his obligatory two drinks before paying his fee and taking Sally up the stairs.

Angelica sighed and closed her appointment book. She stood, picking up the book, and moving to stand behind the bar across from Eliza. Peggy made her way over to the two women and leaned onto the bar’s surface.

“I heard he’s married,” Peggy said.

“Who?” Eliza said, closing her ledger.

“Reynolds.”

“Reynolds ain’t married, we don’t serve married men and he knows that,” Angelica said.

Peggy shook her head. “I was at the market the other say and I heard two women talkin’ about poor ol’ Misses Reynolds and her cheatin’ husband.”

Eliza and Angelica looked to each other, Eliza’s eyes full of pity and Angelica’s full of skepticism.

“Look,” Angelica looked to Peggy, “I ain’t about to turn away a paying customer without proof that he’s married. So, until we know that Misses Reynolds exists, we can’t turn him away.”

Eliza lightly smacked Angelica’s arm. “Oh, Angel, don’t act like you haven’t been lookin’ for a reason to deny him that poor Sally.”

Angelica waved off Eliza’s comment, opting to return to her table to continue her work than respond to her sister.

When Reynolds and Sally came back down, Sally rushed to Angelica’s table. She smacked her hands down, causing Angelica to look up in concern.

“What’s wrong, Sally?”

Sally watched over her shoulder as Reynolds left. Once he was gone, she looked back at Angelica. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“Sally?”

“It’s nothin’, Miss Angel. Nothin’ at all,” Sally said before turning back to her usual table with Dolley.

“What was that about?” Eliza asked.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Angelica said.

+

All of the patrons were out of the bar and the girls’ bedrooms by 1:45 that morning. Eliza had left earlier in the evening to return home to her husband and children. Peggy and Angelica were cleaning up the bar. Peggy wiped down the bar, Angelica picked up empty glasses.

Angelica and Peggy both had their backs to the door when it opened, slamming against the wall. Angelica turned around, expecting a man wanting something quick, but was surprised to see a young woman dressed in red. Peggy turned shortly after, gasping quietly at the sight of the woman.

“How can I help you?” Angelica asked, putting the glasses back down on the table behind her.

“I’m so sorry, but my husband came home drunk and angry and he started hittin’ me, something he never did before, and I was so scared I ran out of the house and this is the only building with lights on and I was hopin’ y’all could help me,” The girl said in a rush.

“I’ll go get Eliza,” Peggy said, running out the back door to the middle sister’s house.

“Come on in, Sugar, and sit down,” Angelica said. She pulled a chair out and motioned to it.

The young woman closed the door behind her and moved to sit down in the chair. Eliza and Peggy came in moments later.

“You wake me up in the dead of night for what?” Eliza said, not noticing the woman. Peggy pointed to the women. Eliza looked and gasped. She sat across from her at the table.

“Darlin’, what’s wrong?” Eliza asked, leaning forward.

“M-My husband…” the woman started.

“What did he do?”

“He hit me. He’s never done that before. Yelled at me, sure, but hit me? Lord, I was so scared I just ran out and came here.”

“Why’d you come here?”

“She said this was the only place open,” Angelica said. She and Peggy sat down at the table as well.

“What’s your name, Honey?” Eliza asked.

“Maria. Maria Reynolds.”

Eliza and Peggy gasped. Angelica smacked her hand on the table.

“Reynolds!” Angelica said.

“You got a brother?” Peggy asked, knowing she was wrong.

Maria shook her head. “Do y’all know my husband?”

“Unfortunately,” Angelica said.

“How?”

“He comes to the Parlor.”

“Angelica!” Eliza snapped.

“What parlor?” Maria asked, panic rising in her voice.

“The Gentleman’s Parlor,” Angelica said, gently.

Maria slumped in her seat. “You tellin’ me my husband is visiting a whorehouse?”

“That’s a crude way to put it, but yeah,” Peggy said.

“Peggy!” Eliza snapped.

“We run it,” Angelica said.

Maria let out a pained noise.

“Angelica, Peggy, that is enough!” Eliza snapped, hitting the table. She turned to Maria. “Sweetheart… We didn’t know he was married. If we did, we wouldn’t have let him see our girls.”

“I don’t blame y’all. Could I… Could I have a place to stay?” Maria asked.

“Yes,” Eliza said.

“No,” Angelica snapped.

“Angel!”

“Eliza, this ain’t a hotel!”

“You have one empty room, let her stay for a few nights while we figure out what to do about Mister Reynolds!”

“We? Who is this ‘We’ you talkin’ about, Eliza?”

“I can convince Alexander to help. You just need to let her stay for a night!”

Angelica turned to Maria, who was already looking at her with pleading eyes. She stared at the woman for a few seconds before sighing in defeat.

“Come on, Misses Reynolds. I’ll show you to your room,” Angelica said, standing.

Maria was up in an instant, hands clasped together. “Thank you so much, ma’am, I am forever grateful to you.”

“Yes, yes, follow me,” Angelica said. The two girls went up the stairs and walked all the way through the hall to the last door. Angelica opened the door and let Maria walk in before her. She lit the lamp next to the bed. “You have a bed, a small dresser and table, and a table to gussy up in. There’s night clothes in the top drawer of the dresser. I’m upstairs if you need me.”

“Thank you so much, Miss… I’m sorry I don’t know your last name,” Maria said.

“Schuyler.”

“Thank you, Miss Schuyler.”

Angelica nodded and closed the door. She went up to her apartment and retired for the evening.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria Reynolds did not leave the room Angelica set up for her for three days. Peggy would send girls up to give her food but it seemed that she rarely ate. Eliza was worried. She had brought her husband, Alexander Hamilton, to the Parlor to speak to Maria about what to do concerning James Reynolds but Maria wasn’t seeing anyone.

Maria Reynolds did not leave the room Angelica set up for her for three days. Peggy would send girls up to give her food but it seemed that she rarely ate. Eliza was worried. She had brought her husband, Alexander Hamilton, to the Parlor to speak to Maria about what to do concerning James Reynolds but Maria wasn’t seeing anyone.

“Is she even alive up there?” Eliza asked Peggy on the third day. Peggy shrugged and turned out to the bar.

“Abigail! Come here!” Peggy called.

Abigail smiled at the man she was speaking to and excused herself. She walked toward Peggy and Eliza at the bar and once she got there, she leaned onto the bar’s surface.

“Yes?” Abigail asked.

“Is Misses Reynolds alive upstairs?” Peggy asked, jumping right to the point.

“Yeah.” Abigail put her gloved hand to her mouth.

“How do you know?” Eliza asked.

“Well, when I take her her food, I knock on the door to ask to come in. She tells me, no, so I tell her that I’m going to leave her food outside her door for when she’s hungry and she says thank you.”

Eliza and Peggy stared at Abigail. They both looked a combination of confused and annoying.

“She speaks to me, so I know she’s alive,” Abigail clarified.

Eliza perked up. “Okay! Thank you, you may return to your… Gentleman.”

Abigail smiled and tapped her fingers on the bar. She said a quick “thank you” and turned to leave, rejoining her conversational partner from earlier.

Eliza, Peggy, and Angelica all noticed Reynolds walk into the bar at the same time. Eliza moved to sit at the table with Angelica.

“Angel, does Mister Reynolds have an appointment today?” Eliza asked.

“No. He came in yesterday and I made myself busy enough that he could not see me,” Angelica said.

The two girls watched as Reynolds went about his normal routine. Peggy reluctantly served him two drinks before he made his way to Angelica and Eliza. Reynolds stood across from Angelica, leaning forward with his hands splayed out on the table’s surface.

“I’m here for Sally,” Reynolds said.

Angelica leaned forward. “I’m sorry, Mister Reynolds, I can’t let you see her.”

Reynolds’ face twisted in anger. “What are you talkin’ about, can’t let me see her. I pay good money for this.”

“Mister Reynolds, we know you’re married. We don’t serve married men here and I can’t break precedent because you spend money here regularly.”

“How could you possibly know that I’m married?”

Angelica didn’t speak.

“She’s here, ain’t she?”

Eliza stood to calm the situation. “Mister Reynolds, your wife ain’t--”

“Cut the shit, Schuyler. Bring her here,” Reynolds snapped.

Reynolds and Eliza stared each other down. Angelica and Peggy watched from their respective places. A few patrons had turned their attention to the scene as well.

“Adrienne,” Eliza said. Her voice was deep and laced with danger.

“Oui, Madame?” Adrienne said once she was at Eliza’s side.

“Go retrieve Misses Reynolds.”

“D’accord, Madame.” Adrienne ascended the stairs.

Reynolds watched Eliza for a few seconds before turning to Angelica. “What the hell is wrong with her?” he asked.

“You disrespected her and we Schuyler sisters don’t put up with that,” Angelica said.

“I called her by her name.”

“You called me ‘Schuyler,’ Mister Reynolds. It’s Misses Hamilton. But I can’t expect you to know that since you’ve been so preoccupied with keeping your wife secret from us so I suppose you should have called me ‘Miss Schuyler.’ Not just Schuyler,” Eliza said.

Adrienne came down the stairs by herself and approached Eliza.

“Madame Hamilton, Madame Reynolds ne descendra pas,” Adrienne said.

Eliza’s mouth turned up in a bitter smile as she laid a gentle hand on Adrienne’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Adrienne, I’ll do get her.”

Adrienne nodded and quickly left, avoiding Reynolds’ lingering eye.

Eliza walked up the stairs and down the hall to Maria’s room. She took a deep breath before gently knocking on the door.

“Misses Reynolds, darling, it’s Misses Hamilton. I need you to come downstairs with me,” Eliza said.

“May I ask why?” Maria’s muffled voice came through the door.

“Your husband is here and he’s askin’ for you.”

The door opened and there stood Maria, still in her red dress from the night she appeared in the bar. “How does he know I’m here?”

“He came in for Miss Hemings and when we wouldn’t let him see her because we knew about you, he assumed you were here.”

“What if he’s so mad he hits me again?”

“Miss Angel will shoot him if he lays a hand on you.”

Maria smiled and stepped out of her room, closing the door behind her. The two women walked down the stairs to the bar. Once there, Reynolds took his wife’s hand in his and led her to a table across the room so they could talk. Eliza and Angelica moved to the bar to sit with Peggy and discuss their thoughts on the situation.

Maria and Reynolds were leaning into each other, talking in hushed tones so that they wouldn’t be heard.

“What if he hits her here?” Peggy asked.

“He won’t. Too many people around, it’s too risky,” Angelica said.

“He looks like he’s apologizing to her,” Eliza said.

The three women watched the couple in silence from then on. When Maria stood up and turned toward the three, they all made it appear as if they were working.

Maria took a seat at the bar with a smile. “Hi, ladies.”

“Hi,” Peggy said.

“How did it go?” Eliza asked.

“I’m gonna go back home. He told me that he knew it wrong to hit me, that he was agitated, and it won’t happen again,” Maria said.

The Schuyler sisters exchanged worried looks.

“Misses Reynolds, is it okay if we send someone to check on you in a few days?” Angelica asked.

“Oh! I’m not too sure that would be okay,” Maria said.

“Misses Reynolds…” Peggy began.

“Okay! Okay! Just… Make it discreet, I don’t want to upset my husband.”

The three women were quiet.

“Okay,” Angelica said.

Maria thanked the three sisters and turned from them, joining her husband by the exit of the building.

\--

The day after Maria’s departure, Angelica discovered where the Reynolds’ lived. It appeared as though Reynolds had told Sally once where he lived and Sally gladly passed along the information.

Two days after Maria’s departure, The Schuyler Sisters met with the girls to discuss some important news. The five girls all sat at the bar while the sisters stood behind it.

“Alright, about Mister Reynolds,” Angelica began. “We ain’t servin’ him anymore. He’s got a wife and it ain’t right to facilitate adultery.”

“Does Misses Reynolds know that her husband has been comin’ here and seein’ Sally?” Martha asked.

“She didn’t know until Miss Angel told her,” Eliza said.

“Well, if she didn’t know, why’d you tell her?” Abigail asked.

“It was the right thing to do,” Angelica said.

“Was it?” Sally asked.

“Look, ladies. I just called y’all here to let you know that we ain’t serving Mister Reynolds anymore,” Angelica snapped. The five girls at the bar looked down at their hands. “Now, if Misses Reynolds comes back here with more problems concerning her husband and any of y’all witness it, I need y’all to tell one of us. Is that understood?”

The five girls all gave affirmative responses and Angelica smiled.

“Good. Now we got an hour until we open so I need y’all to go upstairs and gussy up. Come on, I need y’all lookin’ pretty!”

The girls all laughed and left the bar to go upstairs. All the girls except Sally.

“Sally, what’s wrong?” Peggy asked.

“I had a feeling he was married,” Sally said.

“What made you think he was married?” Eliza asked.

“Last time I saw him, he had a wedding ring on. I’d never seen it before, so I asked him about it. He told me to shut up and not say anything.”

The sisters exchanged glances.

“Go on upstairs, Sally. It’s alright, don’t worry. Okay?” Angelica said with a warm smile.

Sally smiled. “Alright.” She stood from the stool and made her way up the stairs.

On the third day, when the bar and Parlor were both in full swing, Peggy noticed a familiar red dress enter the building. She looked up quickly from where she was cleaning the bar’s surface but didn’t see the dress anymore. She looked to Angelica who was discussing business with a young man.

When the young man had chosen a girl and paid his fees, Peggy signaled for Angelica to come behind the bar. Angelica closed her appointment book and handed it to Eliza to hold on to. She moved behind the bar and stood next to Peggy.

“What is it, sister dear?” Angelica asked.

“I swear I just saw Misses Reynolds walk in here,” Peggy said.

Angelica looked to the crowd and scanned for any sign of Maria. She noticed the red of a dress across the room. “I think I see her, I’ll be back.”

Angelica rounded the bar and crossed the floor to see Maria Reynolds, clear as day, speaking in hushed tones with Sally Hemings. As Angelica came close, she could barely make out the conversation.

“Miss Hemings please tell me you aren’t pregnant by my husband,” Maria said. She was sitting at a table across from Sally.

Sally reached forward and took Maria’s hands in hers. “Misses Reynolds, I can’t tell you for sure if I’m pregnant or not, I don’t know. But I can tell you that if it comes up that I am, I ain’t keepin’ it.”

Angelica sat in the third seat at the table. “Ladies.”

“Hi, Miss Angel,” Sally said.

“Hi, Miss Schuyler,” Maria said.

Angelica looked to Maria. “Misses Reynolds, I’m glad to see that you’re okay.”

“Thank you, Ma’am. I’m sorry to barge in, I just… I had something to say to Miss Hemings.”

“I heard.”

Maria instantly looked down at her lap. Sally stood up from her seat.

“I’m gonna go find… Dolley,” Sally said before leaving the two women.

“Misses Reynolds, is everything okay at home?” Angelica said once Sally was out of earshot.

“I suppose. James hasn’t hit me,” Maria said.

“Well, that’s good. Now listen, Sweetheart, I got a parlor to run,” Angelica placed her hand over Maria’s, “Come to me at any time if you’re in trouble, okay?”

Maria nodded with a smile. Angelica patted Maria’s hand and stood up, making her way back to her sisters on the other side of the room.

\--

Eliza was alone in the bar, taking inventory of the bar and register when the door opened.

“I’m sorry, Sir, we’re closed,” Eliza said without looking up.

“I’m so sorry, Misses Hamilton, I had nowhere else to go,” the intruder said.

Eliza looked up from the register and gasped, shocked to see Maria Reynolds with a large pink mark on her cheek. Eliza rounded the bar and sat Maria in a chair, then herself across from her.

“Misses Reynolds, what happened?” Eliza asked, gently prodding at Maria’s cheek with her fingertips.

“My husband found out I came here to speak with Miss Hemings. He didn’t like that,” Maria said.

“So, he hit you?”

Maria nodded.

“And you just… ran here again?”

Maria nodded again.

Eliza opened her mouth to speak but closed it when she heard her sisters coming down the stairs. She turned to the staircase and watched as Angelica followed Peggy down. The two stopped at the foot of the stairs and stared at Maria.

“Misses Reynolds, are you okay?” Peggy asked.

“I guess I’m fine,” Maria said.

Angelica moved to the table where Maria and Eliza were seated and sat next to Maria. She took the girl’s face in her hands and turned her to face her. Angelica took note of the pink mark on her cheek and sighed. “Tomorrow,” Angelica said, “I’m gonna need you to talk to Eliza’s husband, Alexander. He’s a lawyer and he’ll get you and Reynolds divorced.”

“Oh no, I can’t divorce him for hittin’ me. That’s not how things work,” Maria said. She leaned away from Angelica as Peggy sat at the table.

“Misses Reynolds, you can divorce him for cheatin’ on you,” Peggy said.

“I have no proof he’s been cheatin’. And who’s to say that a judge is gonna believe me when my husband has been cheatin’ on me with a prostitute.”

“There’s only one judge in this town,” Eliza said.

“And his wife used to work here,” Angelica said.

“So, what y’all are tellin’ me is that… I can divorce James?” Maria asked.

The Schuyler sisters all nodded.

“Now,” Angelica said, standing, “Why don’t we all get to bed. Maria, your room is still free so you can stay there again.”

The rest of the women stood. Eliza bid goodnight to her sisters and headed out to back to her house. Angelica went up to the apartment and Peggy locked up the bar.

“Miss Schuyler?” Maria asked. Peggy turned to her and smiled.

“Yes?”

“Which room is Miss Hemings?”

“Second door on the left.”

“Thank you.”

Peggy smiled and the two of them walked up the stairs.

\--

Sally was awoken by a knock on her bedroom door. She lit the lamp by her bed and stood, crossing the floor to the door. She opened it, expecting Angelica. She was surprised, however, to find Maria Reynolds.

“Misses Reynolds? What’s wrong?” Sally asked.

“When I asked if there was a possibility that you were pregnant by my husband, I had a reason,” Maria said.

“What was your reason?”

Maria stared at her feet before looking back up at Sally.

“I think I might be pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> funny story, i posted this chapter to a different fic by accident and it was almost bad lmao
> 
> but its up!! hooray!


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza stared at her husband, almost as if she thought she could will him to do her bidding by the look in her eyes. Eliza wished she had that power; only Angelica did.

“I don’t know, Eliza. If this Reynolds is a smart man, he’s gonna get a good lawyer. There are other lawyers in this town that don’t like me,” Alexander Hamilton told his wife the next morning. The small family was seated at the table in their kitchen eating breakfast before all leaving for the day.

“But Alexander, she needs the help. You love helping people through your job,” Eliza said. She gently bounced their three-year-old daughter, Angelica, on her knee.

“I know, Eliza, but if it’s a hard case, I don’t see the point.” Alexander glanced down at their seven-year-old son, Philip, to make sure he was still eating.

“He’s beating her.”

“That isn’t illegal.”

“It should be.”

“Well, it’s not.”

Eliza stared at her husband, almost as if she thought she could will him to do her bidding by the look in her eyes. Eliza wished she had that power; only Angelica did.

“Okay, fine. I’ll talk to her later on today. I need to drop Philip off at the school then go to my office to gather some things but I’ll talk to her,” Alexander said.

Eliza smiled and stood, holding their daughter on her hip. She walked around the table and pressed her lips to Alexander’s temple. He looked up at her and she pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss. She walked around him and pressed and a quick kiss to their son's hair.

She carried her daughter out of the small house and across the small yard to the Parlor’s back door. She walked through the door and immediately ascended the staircase to leave Angelica in her sisters’ apartment. Eliza returned to the Parlor with her accounting ledger. Peggy and Angelica were there with three of the girls, talking quietly. Eliza rounded the bar to join the conversation.

“Good Morning, Angelica, Peggy,” Eliza said; she looked to the three girls, “Adrienne, Martha, Abigail.” The women all returned hellos and good mornings. “Where are Sally, Dolley, and Misses Reynolds?”

“In bed still, I presume,” Angelica said.

“No, they left this mornin’,” Abigail said.

“Where are they?”

Dolley shrugged her shoulders.

Angelica huffed and looked down at her appointment book. There was only one appointment that day.

Dolley Payne - 4:00 pm - James Madison

“Dolley better get back here before four o’clock. She has an appointment today,” Angelica muttered to herself.

\--

Alexander Hamilton entered the Parlor at noon. He crossed the floor to the bar and hugged Eliza. He pressed a kiss to her hair and said, “Hi, Betsey.”

“Hello, Dear,” Eliza said.

“And hello, ladies,” Alexander called out to the women in the room. A chorus of “Hello, Mister Hamilton,” rang out from different corners of the room. Alexander smiled and turned back to his wife. “Now, where’s Misses Reynolds?”

“Oh, she’s upstairs,” Eliza turned to the floor where she saw Martha, “Martha, can you go get Misses Reynolds?” Martha nodded and headed up the stairs. Eliza turned back to her husband and leaned forward. She said in a hushed tone, “Now, Misses Reynolds went out this mornin’ with Sally and Dolley and we have no idea where they went but when they got back, Misses Reynolds looked very distressed.”

“Okay?” Alexander said.

“I need you to go a bit easy on the poor girl. Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll go easy on her.”

\--

“Now, Misses Reynolds, why exactly are you petitioning for a divorce?” Alexander asked. He sat across from Maria at Angelica’s usual table. Angelica and Peggy were on either side of Maria and Eliza was at Alexander’s left.

“Well, it has been brought to my attention that my husband has been cheatin’ on me,” Maria said.

“And your proof?”

Angelica slid her appointment book across the table. “I’ve marked every appointment Mister Reynolds has made over the last four months.”

Alexander eyed the appointment book before picking it up and setting it down next to him. “Okay, are there any children involved in the divorce?”

Maria was quiet. She looked to the staircase where the five girls sat. Sally and Dolley nodded at her, letting her know it would be okay to tell the truth. Maria looked back at Alexander and took a deep breath. “I’ve also just become aware that I’m pregnant.”

Eliza, Angelica, and Peggy all turned to Dolley and Sally. The two girls stood quickly and ran up the stairs to their bedrooms.

“When did you find out?” Alexander asked, seemingly undisturbed by the fact.

“This mornin’. I asked Miss Hemings and Miss Payne to take me to see a doctor because I knew there was a possibility,” Maria said.

Alexander wrote a few words down. He opened the appointment book to one of the marked pages. “The same Miss Hemings that your husband has been having an extramarital affair with?”

“Yes?” Maria was confused. She didn’t understand how that mattered.

Alexander set his pen down. “Misses Reynolds, I will file your petition. However, we will need to leave Miss Hemings’ involvement in your pregnancy out.”

“But why?”

“It’ll look like you two ladies were conspiring against your husband so you could divorce him. It could be argued that he was never sleepin’ with her.”

“But there’s proof. He’s made appointments,” Eliza said. She patted her accounting ledger. “I have proof he’s paid his dues.”

Alexander looked to his wife. “Records like this can be falsified.”

“This ain’t that big of a deal,” Angelica said, resting her hand on Maria’s. “So, we say that only Dolley took you to see Doctor Laurens. It’s a little detail, it doesn’t matter.” Angelica looked to Alexander. “Right?”

“Right,” Alexander said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since my last update but my mom had her baby and the spring semester started and I have a lot of work to do. I'm going to try and crank these out once a week. I'm not sure yet. If I decide I want to, expect the updates to be on Wednesdays.


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria was nervous sitting in her chair.

Judge Aaron Burr entered the courtroom and gestured for those in attendance to sit. Maria and Alexander Hamilton sat at a table on one side of the room and at a table on the other side sat James Reynolds and his counsel, John Adams. In the gallery sat Angelica, Eliza, her children, Peggy, Dolley, Sally, Adrienne, Martha, and Abigail.

Judge Burr scanned the divorce petition. He looked up at Maria, visibly pregnant by this point. He looked over to Reynolds, eyeing Maria with clear disdain. He set the paperwork down and straightened his back.

“Misses Reynolds, I understand that you are petitioning for divorce because your husband has been having an extramarital affair with one,” Burr glanced back down at the petition, “Miss Sarah Hemmings?”

“Yes, sir, that is correct,” Maria said.

Burr nodded. “Mister Reynolds, do you have any objects? Please, speak through your counsel.”

Reynolds leaned in to whisper something to Adams. Adams straightened his back and spoke. “We’d like to point out that there is no documentation of the affair.”

“Your Honor, we have consistent documentation of his meetings with Miss Hemmings going back three months,” Hamilton argued.

Burr held his hand out to Hamilton who rounded the desk with Angelica’s appointment book. The pages were marked with the appointments Reynolds had made. Burr quickly assessed the number of appointments made by Reynolds and then looked back at him.

“Mister Reynolds, it appears that you have been visiting Miss Angel’s Gentlemen’s Parlor and subsequently had relations with Miss Hemmings. What do you have to say about that? Speak through counsel.”

Reynolds and Adams leaned into each other briefly. Adams stood straight again. “My client would like to point out that there is no proof of payment, therefore there is no proof of him ever following through on those appointments.”

“Your Honor, we have the accounting ledger from the Parlor,” Hamilton said.

Once again, Burr held his hand out to Hamilton who produced Eliza’s accounting ledger and handed it over. The pages were also marked with payments made by Reynolds.

“Mister Reynolds, you seem to have paid for these encounters. How do you respond? Speak through counsel.”

Reynolds and Adams leaned in to confer. Adams stood straight again. “Your Honor, Miss Hemmings in the the gallery today.”

Burr looked to the group of individuals seemingly showing their support for Maria. “Which one of you is Miss Sarah Hemmings?”

Sally stood, bowing her head slightly.

“Miss Hemmings, you are the woman that Reynolds was paying to see?” Burr asked.

“Yes, sir,” Sally said.

“And you’re here as support for Misses Reynolds?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you know that Mister Reynolds was married when you first met with him?”

“No, sir.”

“Did you know they he was married at any point before meeting Misses Reynolds?”

Sally was silent. All eyes were on hers.

“Miss Hemmings?” Burr prompted.

“Yes, I did,” Sally said.

“You did know, good to know. You may sit. Misses Reynolds, please stand.”

Maria stood, pressing her hands underneath her swelling stomach to support it.

“How far along are you in your pregnancy?” Burr asked.

“Your Honor, I’m not sure how that’s relevant,” Hamilton interjected.

“Misses Reynolds?” Burr asked again.

“I discovered my pregnancy about two months ago. The doctor informed me that at that time, I was most likely pregnant for two months,” Maria said.

“So, four months is an appropriate estimate?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did Miss Hemmings know that you were pregnant when you spoke to Mister Hamilton about petitioning for divorce?”

“Yes.”

Hamilton stood up quickly, putting a hand on Maria’s shoulder. Gasps came from the women in the gallery. A smug look washed over Reynolds’ face.

“Misses Reynolds, I thought we had a deal you weren’t going to say that?” Hamilton said in a harsh whisper.

“Your Honor, Mister Hamilton just admitted to prompting the petitioner to lie in a court of law,” Adams said, standing proud.

“Mister Hamilton?” Burr said.

“Your Honor, I--”

“Your Honor, Misses Reynolds and Miss Hemmings are conspiring against my client to petition for divorce. No affair took place and those records have been falsified,” Adams said.

“Your Honor, there is no reason we would falsify such records!” Hamilton almost shouted.

“His wife is in charge of the money!” Reynolds shouted.

“Mister Reynolds,” Burr said, “I must advise you to speak through your counsel. However, this is damning information. I cannot grant the divorce at this moment. I will go over the paperwork and give my verdict in seven days. In the meantime, Miss Angelica Schuyler, please stand.”

Angelica stood.

“Miss Schuyler, please refrain from conducting business hours until I give my verdict. Can you comply to that?”

“I can, your Honor,” Angelica said.

“Good. This court is dismissed.”

\--

Angelica was reading quietly in her bedroom, already dressed for bed when someone knocked on her door.

“Yes?” She called. Peggy opened the door with a grin on her face. Angelica looked up at her sister. “What is it?”

“You have a visitor,” Peggy said.

“I’m not dressed.”

“She doesn’t care.” Peggy stepped into her sister’s bedroom and held the door open wide enough to reveal Theodosia Burr. Angelica smiled and set her book aside to stand and embrace her old friend. Theodosia entered the room and Angelica shooed Peggy away for a few moments of privacy. Theodosia and Angelica sat on the edge of the bed together.

“It has been a very long time, hasn’t it, Angel?” Theodosia asked.

“Too long! How’s married life? I saw your husband today,” Angelica said.

“Married life is wonderful. Last year I had a child. Beautiful little girl. Aaron elected to name her after me.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”

“And I know you saw my husband. I came to talk to you about the case.”

Angelica’s face hardened. “Theodosia, I can’t do that.”

“Do you trust this girl?”

“What?”

“Do you trust Misses Reynolds?”

Angelica was shocked. She knew more so than anyone else that Theodosia was a very intelligent woman. The two were very similar; cutthroat and determined.

When they met, they were both working for Misses Washington, a Madame a few towns over. When Misses Washington decided to close her parlor, The Schuyler sisters and Theodosia Bartow traveled to a new town and opened a new parlor under Angelica’s name. Theodosia was 21, Angelica, 20, Eliza, 18, and Peggy, 16.

“Do you trust Misses Reynolds?” Theodosia repeated.

“I do,” Angelica said.

“Do you believe that she and Miss Hemmings conspired against Mister Reynolds so she could divorce him?”

“No.”

“Okay. I’ll tell my husband that I think he should grant the divorce.”

Theodosia stood, preparing herself to leave.

“Theodosia, you don’t have to do this,” Angelica said, standing with her friend.

“Angelica, when my first husband passed and Misses Washington, God rest her soul, was helping to make sure that I wasn’t tried for killing him, even though I didn’t, you helped me. This girl seems to be very important to Eliza. I want to help her.

\--

The verdict was in within a week. Maria and Hamilton were back at the courthouse with Adams and Reynolds. Hamilton instructed the Schuyler sister and the rest of the girls to stay at the parlor and wait for the news. He was afraid that an incident similar to the one from before would occur.

Maria was nervous sitting in her chair. Hamilton seemed confident. Adams and Reynolds looked confident. Maria was the only one who was scared. What would happen if the divorce wasn’t granted? Where did that leave her? Where would that leave the child growing in her belly?

The door to the Judge’s chambers opened and the four individuals stood. Aaron Burr, armed with the incriminating ledger and appointment book, entered the room and assumed his position. With a wave of his hand, the four sat again. Burr straightened his back to speak.

“Gentlemen. Misses Reynolds. I have gone over the evidence carefully and have made a decision,” Burr said.

Maria took in a deep breath.

Reynolds smirked.

“Mister and Misses Reynolds, please stand.”

Maria and Reynolds stood.

“I hereby declare the couple in question, Misses Maria Reynolds and Mister James Reynolds, divorced.”

\--

“Congratulations, Misses Reynolds,” Angelica said, holding a glass in the air as a toast. She and the girls had put together a quick celebration when Hamilton and Maria had returned from the courthouse.

“If I may make a correction, Miss Schuyler,” Maria said.

Angelica nodded.

“It’s Miss Lewis. I can’t keep that man’s name.”

The girls all clapped around her. Little Angelica Hamilton sat in Maria’s lap and smacked her little hands together.

“Well, congratulations Miss Lewis,” Angelica corrected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the last chapter hahaha
> 
> there will be an epilogue
> 
> i want to die

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea when I was watching an episode of Adam Ruins Everything and honestly love the idea of Angelica running a brothel in the west???
> 
> some feedback is greatly appreciated thank you very much


End file.
